Continental Expects Global Tyre Demand to Reach 1.25 billion Units in 2010

Continental AG passenger car tyre head, Nikolai Setzer predicts that global demand for passenger car tyres will grow to 1.25 billion units in 2010 from 1.2 billion units this year, according to an interview published in German motoring magazine Auto Motor und Sport on Thursday. The total expected to rise again to 1.3 billion units in 2011. The same article quoted Guglielmo Fiocchi, head of Pirelli Tyre’s German operations, as saying he forecasts a 7 to 10 per cent decline in global demand this year.

According the interview, Fiocchi expects the market to bottom out in or before 2010, with growth return after that. Pirelli reportedly predicts annual growth of up to 6 per cent after this. Meanwhile, the German Pirelli Tyre boss said he expects the German summer tyre market to fall 7 – 8 per cent with “better development” in winter tyre business.